1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to network communications, and more specifically to a system and method enabling a network infrastructure to support multiple network providers and/or customers of multiple network providers.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Various types of wired and wireless infrastructures are being developed to provide High-speed Internet Access (HSIA) to users of computing devices, such as portable computing devices (PCDs). Currently, numerous providers are attempting to install wired and wireless network infrastructures in various locations, such as airports, hotels, office buildings, etc. for use by various users. Many of these providers also provide subscription services to customers. These subscription services provide the end user with a single bill at the end of the month for all of his or her uses (or, in some cases provide for a pre-paid subscription service). The subscription may be provided by a HSIA network infrastructure provider, or the subscription may be provided by an “aggregator” that does not own or operate any networks, but provides infrastructure for enabling their customers to gain access at sites from one or more HSIA network providers. The party that has the end-user billing relationship is referred to herein as a “subscriber-owner” or “roaming partner.”
Subscriber-owners often desire to provide services to their customers at a large number of locations, including locations that are not necessarily owned or operated by the subscriber-owner. Providing such subscription services at a locations not owned or operated by the subscriber-owner is often referred to as “roaming,” and the subscriber is said to “roam” onto a third party network.
Roaming technology has been developed in other fields outside of HSIA such as telephone, cellular telephone, and dial-up Internet services. Roaming is a familiar term in cellular telephone networks in situations where a customer of one carrier may arrive in a region where the carrier does not have a physical presence but another provider has equipment. The customer connects to the third-party system and “roams” onto this network. The charges are automatically accumulated by the subscriber-owner and posted on the customer's monthly invoice. In the early days of cellular telephones, roaming was quite awkward. For example, to roam in some areas, a customer would have to dial a local number to inform the local carrier that the customer was in the carrier's region. This awkwardness was due to the fact that no standard mechanism or technology for exchange of credentials or billing information had been adopted. Today roaming in cellular telephone networks is nearly universal between all carriers. More importantly, it is convenient and unobtrusive for the end-users.
In an a situation analogous to the early days of roaming in cellular telephone networks, HSIA providers and subscriber-owners face a challenge of providing roaming services to their customers. At the present point in time, no standard has been adopted for exchange of credentials and billing information. Whereas there is a large amount of technology available for roaming in cellular telephone networks and dial-up ISPs, the mechanism for HSIA connections is quite different than either of these existing systems. HSIA connections are normally controlled via an access control list mechanism with a web-browser. In some cases, client software can also be used to aid in the connection process.